The mat on which I slept took up most of the space, and a small, square table occupied what little was left. A few pieces of clothing were stuffed into a small box kept beneath the table, though most of my garments remained in Lady Aithra’s room. She was overseeing preparations for the wedding, which included collecting gowns and ornaments Theseus would want to see me wear. My dresses were being treated better than I was. I did my best to keep idleness from filling my mind with worries over things I couldn’t control. I was concerned about what would happen when my parents finally learned my fate, and I did fret over where my brothers might be by now, but I couldn’t let such thoughts dominate my days. Hardest of all was cherishing my best memories of Milo without letting them drag me back into despair. The only privacy I had was a curtain across the doorway, and it ended about a hand-span from the floor. I didn’t care. I had enough blankets to keep out the cold, and a door would have held in the smell from the night-soil pot in the corner.
